The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), in partnership with Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative, is proud to host its inaugural Healthy Building Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 16. This groundbreaking, full-day event will be the first-ever gathering dedicated to exploring the critical role of policy in shaping the future of how we support and enhance human health, well-being and equity in our buildings.
“The Healthy Building Policy Summit, a first-of-its-kind event, represents a critical step forward in our mission to prioritize health and well-being in our buildings, organizations and communities,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “We’re excited to come together around the imperative for healthy buildings and delve further into the full range of policies that can help accelerate people-first places for everyone, everywhere.”
By bringing together a diverse group of policymakers, government officials, industry leaders, and public health experts, the Summit aims to drive discussion, engagement and meaningful advancements in healthy building policy. “Human health metrics are fundamental to understanding the performance of the built environment; they should be at the center of our discourse on planning, investment & design,” said Uwe S. Brandes, Professor and Director of the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative, which is hosting the event at its Capital Campus.
Attendees will engage in dynamic conversations about emerging policy actions that can accelerate healthier environments, while also learning from distinguished government and industry leaders who are speaking at the event. Already, a remarkable roster of speakers has been confirmed, including:
• Donnel Baird, CEO, BlocPower
• Holly Paeper, President, Commercial, HVAC, Americas, Trane
• Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
• Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI
• Khoi Vo, CEO, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
• Maria Cancian, Dean, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
• Rick Fedrizzi, Executive Chairman, IWBI
• Uwe Brandes, Director, Georgetown Global Cities Initiative, Georgetown University
• Dr. Yele Aluko, Chief Medical Officer, EY Americas
• Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President for Research, IWBI
• Chris Pyke, Chief Innovation Officer, GRESB
• Katie McGinty, Vice President and Chief Sustainability & External Relations Officer, Johnson Controls
• Kelly Worden, Vice President of ESG and Investing for Health, IWBI
• Tony Abate, VP and Chief Technology Officer, AtmosAir
• Rebecca Katz, Professor and Director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University
• Christopher King, Dean, Georgetown University School of Health, Georgetown University
• Kay Sargent, Senior Principal, Director of Thought Leadership, Interiors, HOK
• Dr. Linda Lee, Chief Medical Officer & Science Officer, UV Angel
• Dr. John McKeon, CEO, iAIR Group
• Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Through its programming, the Summit will feature several timely trends, such as the integration of health, resilience and sustainable building practices; the role of technology advancements in improving occupant experiences; and pioneering use cases in both the private and public sectors.
“At Trane Technologies, we are climate innovators with the courage to look at our world’s challenges and see endless opportunity,” said Holly Paeper, President of Commercial HVAC, Trane Technologies, one of the mainstage speakers. “We are proud of our success in helping to improve the built environment and excited to join other leading voices in collaboration with IWBI at the Healthy Building Policy Summit to advance this critical policy conversation and set a higher bar to enhance the health and well-being of our communities, customers, employees, and planet.”
The Summit will also cover a range of other vital topics, including policy innovations promoting healthy building practices while helping to achieve climate goals, new approaches to indoor air quality, and government leadership in deploying health-focused solutions in public buildings.
“At Corvias, we are dedicated to the care and quality of residences for service members and their families, and we have teamed up with IWBI to integrate healthy building best practices throughout our portfolio,” said Chris Wilson, CEO of Corvias Group. “This commitment advances the well-being of our servicemembers and the resilience of these communities, all while helping bolster our nation’s security. We are proud to support IWBI’s Healthy Building Policy Summit and engage in important discussions about the future of military housing.”
The Summit is generously sponsored by leading companies that are supporting important work to advance health in buildings. The event’s Gold level sponsor is Corvias, with Trane Technologies as a Silver level sponsor. Bronze level sponsors include Vogel Group and UV Angel, with WellStat, AtmosAir, PathogenFocus and Aeroseal as experience sponsors. In addition, Lutron is hosting the Summit’s evening reception.
The event also includes nearly a dozen Supporting Organizations, including American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), American Lighting Association (ALA), Americans for Small Business, Better Homes for Heroes, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), BOMA International, Global Green, Greenseal, ISSA-The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In addition, the Summit’s Media Partners include FacilitiesNet, Buildings Magazine and BuildingGreen.